Next In Line
by Blood And Gold
Summary: The captive, teenage Prince of Saiyans has some decisions to make. Will he follow his destined path, despite all he's lost? Or will the obstacles prove too much for him?
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer- I do not own DBZ or any of it's characters. I do, however, own Lithia, just to make that clear. _

_Author's Note- This is just a brief background note on the story and my own addition to the usual characters- Lithia. She was designed on the rather sketchy concept of what might be considered an ideal woman for a saiyan. Seeing as there are no females of said species in the series (as far as I've seen), there wasn't much to go on. _

_This probably seems like a totally weird fic, but it's my first so I shall exhaust my right to be a little out of the ordinary. Hope you enjoy it._

Chapter One

Vegeta leant moodily against the wall of his cell, his dark eyes cast downward; he was sick of the sight of this room, his prison of eleven years.

It was late. The prince had a prompt sunrise start for his training schedule the next morning, and he was weary from a day of thrashing it out with Raditz. Yet he could not bring himself to retire to his bunk. Instead he merely sat on the cold, steel floor, listening to the sounds from the rooms either side of him.

To the left was Nappa's cell. He could hear his gargantuan minder's snores through the thick metal wall. The cell to his right was Lithia's. Not a sound emanated through her wall, and this bothered him. By now she was normally in her bunk, her Mozart playing softly on as she slept. But tonight there was no Mozart, which could mean only one thing- she was not in her cell. If she was not in her cell, there was only one other place she could be...with _him_.

Vegeta knew that Frieza had never yet laid a hand on her, and his summoning her in the middle of the night was all a ploy to eat away at his nerves. It worked- he was positively livid. Lithia was the remnant of a world that had been robbed from him over a decade ago. She was a living, breathing reminder of his father- the girl who had been promised to him since he was four years old.

"She will be your consort when you're of age, my son," his father had told him matter-of-factly, just after their first meeting with her. "A good saiyan, from a good fighting family. And from the looks of her siblings, she'll be a beauty."

The four-year-old prince had scowled up at his father.

"But why? I don't need her! I'm going to be powerful enough to rule this planet alone!"

His father had laughed and cuffed him playfully on the ear.

"I'm sure you will," he'd smiled, "But you can't continue the royal bloodline by yourself. You'll need a female to help you."

"Why?" Vegeta had asked, scowling more deeply.

Again his father had laughed heartily.

Vegeta couldn't help but smile at this memory. Of course he knew now what his father had meant; he knew his father had been right. Not that it was of any use. There was no planet to rule anymore, no royal bloodline to continue. They were the only ones left.

Suddenly the sound of voices caught his attention- two males and one female approaching just outside. The first he heard clearly was Frieza's, high-pitched and cold, clashing with the other milder and calmer tone, which he recognised to be Lithia's. The third he could no longer hear, yet he had no doubt it was Zarbon- the sycophantic lap dog never left his master's side.

"Why do you insist on trying to annoy him?" Lithia asked haughtily. Vegeta grinned to himself in the darkness- she'd be a natural ruler! Imperious to the core, even to the beast who'd destroyed her entire race.

"I do have to have some form of entertainment whilst we're on the move," came the dictator's sneering reply. "I shall enjoy seeing his arrogant face crumple in the morning when he finds out where you've been!"

Frieza laughed cruelly, causing the prince to spring to his feet, his gloved hands curling tightly into fists as he tried to control his temper. It was no good to loose it in front of the lizard- he'd only wind up with serious injuries and that would give him more cause to laugh at his expense. Instead he kept quiet, breathing slowly and deliberately, still listening.

"I tire of you," Lithia responded. "Will you leave now and let me rest?"

There was the sharp slapping sound of skin on skin and the smallest of cries from Lithia.

"You're as insolent as he is," the overlord muttered icily. "Now get out of my sight before I do hurt you!"

Vegeta heard the hiss of the hydraulic door as it opened, then the sound of two sets of footsteps retreating to the right. He waited for a moment, his heart pounding in his chest, and his blood positively boiling. When his oppressor's footsteps had faded out of earshot, the prince though it safe to leave his cell.

As quietly as he could and controlling his rage, he teleported into the next room. Lithia was sitting on her bunk, a mirror in her hand, gazing angrily into the glass. She looked up as she heard him enter and rose to her feet.

"Vegeta," she murmured softly, and she knelt before him as a gesture of the respect she'd never lost for her sovereign. He gave her the customary touch on her bowed head and she stood again, her eyes meeting his. "I wondered how long you'd wait before coming in."

Vegeta perched himself precariously on her bunk, studying the expression on her face. She was livid, clearly, yet controlling herself in the way only she could.

"And how did you know I was awake?" he asked, casually inspecting his fingernails.

Lithia looked back at him and flashed him a sly smile.

"I felt your ki flare when he hit me…just the smallest flicker, but I knew you were listening."

The teenage prince cursed himself for being so blatant. Lithia laughed, interpreting the irritated look on his face, and she came to sit opposite him.

"He knew too," she said earnestly. "That's the only reason he hit me. He knew it would annoy you."

"And why would he think I'd care?" Vegeta snarled, crossing his arms defiantly over his chest. Lithia just smiled again, her eyes flashing with dark humour.

"'Cause I'm your property, Vegeta," she said, grinning. "I've had the royal stamp across my head since I was three- "Property of the Prince". And it ticks you off to see other people man-handling your stuff, doesn't it?"

Vegeta resisted the urge to shove her off the bed. It annoyed him that she could read him like a book, that she somehow knew his mind. He wondered if it was a power bestowed upon a future queen: the ability to read their consorts, so they could cater to their every whim. If it was, then she was grossly abusing it, using it to wind him up. Well, two could play at that game! He reached out at and cupped her under the chin a little roughly.

"Did he leave a mark, then?" he asked, inspecting either side of her face. "You know I won't have damaged goods."

Lithia screamed with rage and stomped over to the window, though not before delivering a swift punch to his shoulder. Vegeta laughed and stretched out across her bunk. His tail twitched playfully about his shoulders as he continued.

"He's cut your cheek," he drawled, grinning at the angry look on his subject's face. "It could scar! No, I can't have that." He rolled onto his side to face her. "I'll have to give you to Raditz now. Or perhaps Nappa. He looks like he could use a fresh chunk of girl meat."

"You!" she hissed, forgetting her manners and rushing at him. The prince merely caught her about the waist and flipped her onto the bed next to him, smiling cruelly down at her. He loved to tease her as much as Freiza loved to torment him. Neither Nappa nor Raditz were as much fun to toy with as she was. She was, after all, a female, and saiyan women were proud, more so than the men.

"You're a complete wretch," Lithia growled, her dark eyes flashing angrily.

"And you are such a girl," Vegeta replied, grinning. He cocked his head, this time looking properly at the gash Frieza's clawed hand had made just below her right eye. It was still wet with blood and looked a little deeper than he'd suspected.

"He _did_ cut you," he said, sobering himself. "If you treat it properly, it won't scar. I shall have Nappa tend to it in the morning."

He rose off the bunk and made towards the door, feeling Lithia's gaze following him.

"You're training tomorrow?" she asked.

"When have you known me not train, Lithia?" he replied shortly, casting a quick look back at her. She was still lying where he'd thrown her, her long hair a little tousled and her face and eyes burning with fury.

"I don't know why he won't let me fight with you," she hissed, turning her head indignantly towards the window. Vegeta couldn't help but grin. Freiza's rather misogynistic attitude towards females had frustrated her for years. He found it all quite amusing. Not only did it annoy Lithia, something he thought endlessly entertaining, it was also putting the evil overlord to a great disadvantage- and all because of his own sexist ideas.

"Because he is an ignorant fool," the prince replied. "Perhaps it is our key to defeating him. You still train, do you not?"

"Oh Vegeta, you know it's hardly training unless you are matched with a challenging partner!" Lithia whined. "Those women he pits me against are pathetic! I could kill them all in all in one go and he knows it. Stupid lizard!"

"Now, now," Vegeta taunted sarcastically. "Less disrespect from you, or he'll be back to scar your other cheek. We can't have that now, can we?"

He began to laugh but stopped when he realised his female companion did not share his amusement.

"Don't rise to anything he tells you," she said, quietly, averting her eyes. "Whatever he says, it's all lies. I'm not about to dishonour your father's wishes, regardless of whether or not you want me."

The prince folded his arms across his chest again. His disliked it when she implied…no, _assumed_ that he cared for her. Whether he did or not was utterly irrelevant! He could not let another person get that impression. They would, like Freiza, use it against him.

"Once again, you assume that I give a shit," Vegeta responded coldly. He shot her a dark look before teleporting back to his cell.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Lithia was sitting pensively in the disused room she'd transformed into her private training chamber. As an old cargo hold, the room had no security cameras, which meant she was free to do as she pleased. All around her on the floor were the electronic parts and fragments of metal that had once belonged to an out of date battle droid.

The monstrous Nappa was crouching over her, dabbing an old saiyan remedy on her wound.

"It smells funny," she sniffed, wrinkling her tiny nose.

"No matter if it does the job," he replied, pulling away and admiring his handiwork. "That should do. It shouldn't be too late to prevent any scarring."

"Thank you Nappa," sighed Lithia. She rose to her feet and drifted over to a battered old crate, out of which she withdrew several swords. They were all magnificently crafted, with jewelled hilts and gilded scabbards, their styling giving an impression of being both old and valuable.

"Where the hell did you get those?" Nappa gasped, eyeing the weapons enviously. "Surely they're not from Freiza's armoury?"

"Of course not," Lithia scoffed, withdrawing the largest of the swords and inspecting the gleaming blade. "These are far nicer. I salvaged them from my father's ship before the lizard destroyed it."

She spun the sword skilfully a few times then offered it to a surprised Nappa.

"Care to try?" she asked, grinning arrogantly. She knew full well he couldn't use it- most warriors these days couldn't. Sword fighting, they thought, was outdated. After all, what use was a sword against a high-powered energy blast? She agreed on that point, they were useless in most battles. Yet it was the skill and agility acquired through their use that would gain one the upper hand.

As she had suspected, Nappa merely waved the sword uncertainly in his right hand before giving it back to her.

"Are those the only treasures you have been keeping from us all this time?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh no," Lithia responded, with another secretive smile. "I have a fair few things stashed away. Nothing you'd be interesting in…nothing useful. Just a few personal items."

"Hmmm, still," the gargantuan saiyan muttered, clearly disapproving. "I don't think Vegeta would be too happy if he knew you'd been keeping things from him."

"He doesn't own me!" she snarled, sheathing her sword with an indignant toss of her head.

"He doesn't…_yet_," Nappa corrected, glowering at her. "Might I remind you, you are still promised to him. The annihilation of our planet does not change that. For a seventeen-year-old whelp, you are rather over sure of yourself... "

Lithia placed the swords back in the crate and covered them, choosing her next words carefully- she did not want to sound like she cared.

"So Vegeta wants me as his consort then?" she asked, her tone a little more cold than airy. No matter, she thought to herself as she awaited a response. Nappa was rather dense- he wouldn't differentiate.

"It's not something he talks about with me," Nappa answered. "It's not something he talks about at all. Yet I can't see why he wouldn't want to honour his father's wishes."

Lithia scowled. So he would take her as his partner simply because of a whim of his father's? No personal interest at all? How insulting!

"I see," she said, slowly. Without warning, she raised an arm and fired three large blasts at the robotic corpse on the floor. Nappa grinned from his spot by her feet.

"Is that not answer you wanted?" he teased, his dark eyes scouring her for some indication of emotion.

"You're implying that I care," she hissed, in perfect imitation of her suitor. "Which I most certainly do not! I'm just not getting any younger, that's all. If he's going to call the shots, he better be quick about it. Let's face it, an obligation to his father is the only reason I'm still here. If it wasn't for that, I'd have left you losers ages ago."

"I highly doubt that," scoffed Nappa, getting to his feet so he could tower over her. "Do you really think Freiza would let you escape? You?! The only hope of continuing the species he went out of his way to destroy? As if! I'm surprised he hasn't slaughtered you already."

The great saiyan's last statement cut her like one of her swords. It was not the underlying threat of Freiza coming to slay her…she knew he wouldn't do that as long as Vegeta was alive. But the full concept of being the only living female of her species, well, it was staggering. Her mind raced back to her mother, her nurse, all the other powerful women who had influenced her as a child. They were gone now. She was the only one left.

"Leave me," Lithia breathed, closing her eyes and biting down on her lips to keep her voice steady. "Just GO!"

Nappa shot her a concerned glance, and then left the abandoned hold, leaving Lithia crouched within a circle of shrapnel, her fair face wrought with anger.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note- Ok, so the chapters prior to this were simply for background and a bit of character building. Here it's begins to get into the juicy storyline. I will not deny, I find writing fics like this so much more difficult than writing original pieces. I'm trying my best not too distort Vegeta's character too much. Let me know your thoughts._

Chapter Three

Vegeta had been training for three hours solid since his breakfast break. The need to stop again and rest was growing with every minute, but under Frieza's watchful eye, he had no choice but to carry on.

The lizard had been goading him all morning with whispered tales of last nights events- how he'd _dishonoured_ his father's choice for princess, how she'd liked it. Several times he'd retaliated, and now he had the stinging gashes across his back to prove it.

The rest of the Elite squad were already showing physical signs of exhaustion, and Frieza was revelling in taunting them.

"Tired already, boys and girls?" he drawled, eyeing them all disdainfully. "That's too bad! Normally, I'd have you carry on, but seeing as you're being so pathetic, and as I'm in such a good mood today…we shall break this little session. Ninety minutes, then I want you all back here."

Vegeta cast his captor a foul look as he picked up his towel and stalked angrily out of the Elite training centre. He could sense Raditz not far behind, but he chose to ignore him. He didn't want to speak with him right now. The confines of his private cell were all he sought.

Swiftly he marched to his quarters and made a distinct point of locking his door, a clear message to any fool who dared disturb him. The moment the door had clasped down, he let out a mighty roar of pain, ripping of his already torn training shirt and throwing it down on the floor.

"That looks sore," came a tranquil voice from the darkness.

The prince was startled- for all his anger he had not even sensed the intruder in his room. Quickly, he switched on the lights to see Lithia sitting calmly on his bunk, surveying the wounds across his back.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" Vegeta snapped, annoyed by both her presence and her downright cheek. As always she moved and bent herself down before him respectfully. This soothed his vile mood somewhat, and he, though reluctantly, touched her on the top of her head.

She did not stand, only looked up, her eyes two black pools burning fire.

"It seems you're taking a lot of crap on my behalf," she said darkly.

"Don't flatter yourself!" he smirked sarcastically. "It's a principle, nothing to do with you!"

"Of course not," she responded, returning his sass with a perfect smile. He shoved her so she tumbled back on to her hands, almost lying on the floor at his feet.

"Good, I like you down there," he muttered, sweeping into the bathroom and starting to fill the sink with hot water. "Come and make yourself useful!"

He leant firmly against the sink, watching her enter through the reflection the mirror. She clearly knew what she was to do- she took up a clean cloth, moistened it with warm water and began to dab rather roughly at his wounds. The water stung horribly, but the prince did his best not to grimace. After all, the last thing he wanted was more taunting.

"Better?" she asked, shortly, though the assuring hand on his shoulder conflicted with her prickly tone.

"It's fine," Vegeta responded. It was actually beginning to feel quite nice, but she wasn't to know that.

"If you had a basin, I could do this on the bed," she continued, touching each wound lightly with the cloth and then rinsing it. Venito resisted the urge to snigger at such a comment. He continued to stare forcedly into the mirror, gripping the sink tighter as she worked down his back.

"Sensitive, aren't you?" Lithia observed, a hint of amusement to her voice. She trailed her tail along the path she had just taken the cloth, sending a little tremor down his spine.

"Stop that!" he growled crossly. "I didn't ask to be tickled."

The girl merely laughed and carried on with her task. When she'd finished, she rinsed the cloth and set it on side of the sink to dry.

"I have some of that ointment Nappa used on my face," she told him. "Shall I put some on?"

"Why not," Vegeta sighed. "Do it on the bunk. I'm tired."

She nodded and followed him though into his cell. Secretly, he was thoroughly enjoying this obedience on her behalf. Perhaps injuries should occur more often if they got him this sort of attentive care from his subjects.

He lay himself down on the bed, his face nestled in the pillow. Lithia perched on his right and began to rub the odd-smelling solution into his open wounds. It sent violent streaks of pain through his skin.

"Dammit!" he roared, gripping the edges of his pillow tightly. The girl was unperturbed and continued to apply the ointment tenderly with the tips of her fingers.

"You'll be lucky if these don't scar, even with this on," she told him.

"I can't say I care," the prince sighed. "It'll be just a few more for the growing collection."

Lithia smiled and put the lid back on the tiny bottle.

"All done," she said, pursing her lips in a mocking manner. "Does it still hurt?"

"No," Vegeta lied impulsively, looking over his shoulder to where the girl was sitting. She was still grinning wickedly, despite a hint of anger that glittered in the depths of her eyes. "Stop taunting me," he scolded. "It's annoying."

"Oh, I am sorry," Lithia shot back sarcastically. "What you rather me do, your highness?"

"Order lunch," he commanded. "I'm starving."

Lithia rolled her eyes and slipped off the bed, crossing the room to the intercom. Vegeta watched her, grinning to himself. She was always so ready to serve him! He valued obedience in a female- it was a rather attractive quality. Then again, he thought, Lithia _was_ becoming a rather attractive girl. He had not noticed until recently. Looking her up and down as she was conversing with the intercom, he noted she was small- but he liked that. It wouldn't do to have a woman towering over you all the time. She was slender too, no way near as muscular as the remaining males of her species. Still, he liked this. Saiyan women were strong yes, but never as much so as the males- and he preferred it that way. Yet, most striking of all was her figure. Over the past few years, her body had become more and more like those of Freiza's harem of girls- curvaceous hips, a tiny waist and a rather remarkable bosom.

Yes, she was blossoming, to be sure, and he wasn't the only man to have noticed it. Just yesterday morning, Raditz had made some lewd comment about what he'd like to do to her. The prince had, of course, made sure he'd regretted it. As far as he was concerned, she was still promised to him.

"Ten minutes," she told him, sauntering back over to bed to inspect his wounds. "I had them bring your usual tonne or so. Oh look, you're healing!"

"Sign of a strong saiyan," he boasted, rolling over onto his front and grinning up at her. "No one makes me bleed my own blood for long."

Lithia's eyes flickered casually over his chest for a moment. Vegeta noticed. What _was_ that? Disapproval? Surely not, she was as scantily clad as he! Attraction? Perhaps. Yet she'd never displayed any sign of attraction to him before, though he couldn't she why she wouldn't. He was her prince! Surely no saiyan was more desirable to females than their prince?

"Would you like me to fetch you a new shirt?" she asked, her tone thoroughly unreadable.

"No," Vegeta replied, carefully gauging her reaction. "I'm not cold."

Still, her face remained passive, unfathomable except for an odd glimmer in her eyes, and this time it wasn't anger. Her tail was wrapped round her waist, giving nothing away.

"Sit," he ordered, tugging at her skirt so she fell forwards onto the bunk. "You and I must talk."

At this her entire body seemed to stiffen, if only momentarily.

"About what, Vegeta?" she asked airily. Again, those eyes travelled across his chest, with no hint of a reaction registering on her face. Vegeta was growing impatient and frustrated, so he decided to stoke the fire a little.

"Just stuff," he murmured, in an equally casual voice. "Come closer. I can't be fussed to raise my voice."

The girl inched a little closer to him, steadying herself with a daring hand on his stomach so as not to slide off the bunk. Vegeta noticed the sudden increase in her breathing; her own chest was heaving up and down just that little bit faster. He smirked- she _did_ want him! Oh, this was just too funny. A cruel little plot formed in the back of his mind and he smirked harder still.

"What are you smiling at?" Lithia asked, in a voice quite unlike her usual playful, mocking tone. It was lower, softer; barely audible yet enticing. The prince paused to ponder his move- he'd never done this before. He'd _seen_ it done plenty of times- the number of occasions he'd discovered Zarbon at it with one of Freiza's whores. Was there a technique? Surely not! Well if there was, how hard could it be? All he needed to do was to overwhelm the girl so much she'd melt right into him. He eyed her soft little mouth, poised and waiting for his reply. Then, without warning, he lunged forward and attached himself to her lips.

She squealed at first, clearly unsure of how to react to such a sentimental gesture. Yet intrigue and desire quickly took over her saiyan instincts. She yielded, and her tail uncoiled and snuck teasingly round his waist. The prince was in shock- he could not believe how much he was enjoying this! Her mouth was tender and sweet and deliciously inviting, and despite the fact he had not the faintest clue what he was doing, he couldn't bring himself to stop. He was tingling all over and it was pleasant. The sugary scent of her skin and hair was intoxicating. Blindly, for he could not will his eyes to open, he reclined back into his pillow, pulling his female prize on top of him.

The weight of her body atop his only added to his pleasure. This couldn't go on. He could already feel a particular brand of desire stirring in him. He knew he must stop before he embarrassed himself. Annoyed, he wrenched his lips away from hers and wriggled out from underneath her. Lithia let out a magnificent sigh and languidly opened her eyes.

"Why did you stop?" she murmured drowsily, her voice a bare whisper. With her dark hair beautifully ruffled around her head, and her tail lashing back and forth, she looked rather like a slender black lion, lounging in sun.

Vegeta lay next to her, his chest also heaving now, resisting the powerful urge to roll over and do it again. He knew if he did there'd be consequences. Not to mention this way he had her under his control, begging for more, and that was useful.

"No more now," he gasped, casting her a teasing grin. "You're tiring me and I'm supposed to be resting up."

Just as he'd suspected, the young woman rolled over and slipped an arm around his waist, pressing her tender form against his muscles. He gasped- even the touch of her skin on his was electric!

Suddenly, the door to the cell opened, and several of Freiza's lesser servants marched in, each carrying platter upon platter of food. They stopped dead at the sight of the teenage prince canoodling with Lithia.

"Who the hell gave you permission to enter?!" Vegeta yelled, quickly jumping away from Lithia's embrace. "The door was locked for a reason! Put that down and get the hell out of my sight!"

The servants were as frightened of the stronger saiyan as they were of their master. Hurriedly, they set the dishes down on the bureau and dashed out of the cell, muttering feeble apologies as they went.

Vegeta stalked irritably over to the door and locked it for a second time. Then he turned his attention to the food that was bombarding his senses, fully over-riding his more intimate urges. A selection of his usual favourites was there, plus an unusual dish that he didn't recognise, something he assumed Lithia had ordered.

"Your food's over here," he called through mouthfuls of vegetable rice. Saiyan to the bone, Lithia rushed over the bureau. He didn't blame her. Kissing was hungry work!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The Elite squad finished their long training days at 5pm, after which they had half an hour to use the facilities as they wished until the next group's evening session.

Vegeta, Raditz and Nappa had retired to the steam room, a useful way, they found, of relaxing their muscles after a particularly tiring regime.

Vegeta was leaning against the wall again, smiling this time, revelling in the drowsy humidity.

"I've never seen anyone smile after a day like that," Raditz grumbled, eyeing his prince suspiciously. "You a glutton for torture or is there something else you'd like to share?"

The younger saiyan said nothing, but he did not abandon his smirk. The powerful image of his kiss with Lithia had been driving him all afternoon. It seemed he could feel no pain when dwelling on such pleasure.

"I know that smile," Nappa chimed in, giving his royal ward a mysterious wink. "That's the look of saiyan who's had his first taste of what it's like to be a man."

Raditz snorted with laughter.

"You're kidding me?" he questioned, whirling around to face Vegeta. "No way! I should have known you wouldn't have waited long after you came of age. With who?"

Still the prince remained silent. He was toying with the idea of putting them out of their misery…perhaps after he'd let them speculate for a moment more.

"Was it Mimi? Aleena? Revannah?" Raditz continued. "Come on, man, spill!"

"Who the hell are Mimi, Aleena and Revannah?" Vegeta asked, scowling cruelly at his peer.

"Just…some of Freiza's pro girls," Raditz shrugged, trying and failing to hide the blush that had risen in his face.

"You're a sick saiyan," Nappa sighed, shaking his head.

"What?! I have needs, just like you two do. They get the job done…"

"I can't believe," Vegeta interjected, grinning again, "that you think I'd go to a prostitute! Me1 I am Prince of Saiyans! The women come to me! Besides…who needs a whore when there's a perfectly desirable female in the next cell."

There was a moment of silence whilst the two older saiyans' rather inferior minds worked on this. Then, they realised.

"Lithia?" gasped Raditz, his face awestruck. "You _screwed_ Lithia? Holy shit!"

"Who the hell said anything about screwing her? Vegeta snapped, though he was still smiling arrogantly. "I merely set the wheels in motion. It's remarkable how a simple kiss can have a female thoroughly trained to you."

"I did wonder…" Nappa said, clapping Vegeta on the back and nearly sending him hurtling off the bench. "Sorry, Vegeta. But yeah, I was talking to her when I was on break. You seemed to playing on her mind a fair bit."

"What was it like? Did she really go for you?" Raditz asked.

"The girl has definite potential," the prince replied cryptically, enjoying the eager looks on their faces. Raditz shook his head in disbelief.

"Come on, Vegeta! Give us something!" he complained. "Did you get a good grab of that ass?"

Vegeta's superior smirk evaporated, giving way to a threatening scowl.

"I'll have none of that crap off you," he spat angrily. "I don't want you speaking of any part of her anatomy in that lewd manner. Heck, don't even _think_ it! She is _mine_ now, got that?"

"What, you kiss her once and you own her?" Raditz hissed back. "I don't think so. Give her a shot at a real man and she'd dump you in an instant!"

Vegeta jumped to his feet, ki flaring threateningly.

"Say that again," he growled, his tail lashing dangerously about his waist. "I will not be spoken to like that, not by sub-ordinates like you!"

The livid prince powered up, ready to blast Raditz through the wall if needs be. He expected such disrespect from Freiza and his cronies, but from his own subjects?! He would not stand for it. It was Nappa, however, who stood up to face him.

"Vegeta calm down," the elder saiyan said soothingly. "Any more trouble today, and Frieza'll cream your ass for sure. When you're older and wiser enough to take him on, then you do as you please. But play it cool, at least for now."

Vegeta knew he was right. Grudgingly, he sat back down, his ki returning to normal, though he did not take his angry glare away from Raditz, whom Nappa turned to next.

"You," he said, far less diplomatically. "Drop it. She's promised to Vegeta not you. Deal with it."

Raditz fell silent, glowering at Vegeta. The prince didn't care. He was right- and he had his prize to prove it. Speaking of which, she would be waiting for him, just like they'd agreed.

"I have to go," he muttered, casting angry looks at his subjects as he left and made for the changing rooms.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Vegeta found Lithia waiting for him in his chamber, sitting patiently on the bunk. Her Mozart was playing softly into the dimly lit cell, resonating off the metal walls.

"Why do you listen to that Earth junk," Vegeta sighed, as he threw himself moodily onto the mattress beside her.

"Mozart is considered an intergalactic, musical genius," she replied simply. Vegeta rolled his eyes. Having no female role model _did_ take its toll on her sometimes. Saiyan women only liked saiyan music. At least, that was what Nappa always told him.

"You look exhausted, Vegeta," Lithia observed. "Has that tyrant been pushing you again?"

"You say that like I can't handle it," the prince said coldly. He didn't like it when she fussed- it was a dressed-up way of implying he couldn't take care of himself. Which he most definitely could.

"If you couldn't handle it, you'd be dead by now," she retorted, giving him a playful shove in the ribs. He caught her by her delicate wrist and pulled her on top of him, indulging himself in another succulent kiss. This time she yielded immediately. Her arms snaked around his back and her tail sought his, intertwining together, sending tremors of delight up his spine.

"You taste good, girl," he murmured, licking his lips exaggeratedly. He relished the sensation of her slender body on his, the way her breasts pressed so firmly against his torso. "And yes, I'm tired, you're right. Too tired to do what I want to do."

Again, he kissed her, slowly, flicking his tongue between her honey-sweet lips. Kissing was not going to satisfy him tonight. She was rousing something in him he hadn't felt for months.

"Oh? And what, precisely, do you want?" she asked teasingly, pulling away from his kiss.

Vegeta laughed darkly and rolled onto his side, taking his woman with him. For a moment, he said not a word, enjoying the look of anticipation on her face.

"Lie with me," he murmured finally. "No, I do not mean in that manner. That's not honouring my father's wishes. Just lie with me; rest with me. That is all I ask."

Lithia's face darkened noticeably. She lowered her eyes and looked to the corner of the room, biting her lip. Vegeta did not like this.

"What? Is there a problem with that too?" he asked, frowning. "Don't you trust me to keep my word?"

Of course I do," the girl replied. "It's just…if Freiza comes for me…if he finds me with you…"

"What's the lizard going to do about it?" The prince laughed, relishing the very thought. True, Freiza had a personal vendetta against the saiyan race- he did everything possible to make their lives miserable. Yet even he would not stoop so low.

"He will not bother with us," Vegeta told her calmly. "So, impudent girl, will you obey your prince?"

Lithia paused dramatically before responding with a simple nod. With that, Vegeta grinned and drew her close to him, breathing in the sweet scent that seemed to emanate from her flesh. To him, it smelt like the beginnings of a victory, more so than any blood-drenched battlefield. To conquer Lithia was to beat off the rivalry of any other male on the ship, not to mention giving Freiza the proverbial finger.

"I will have you soon, girl," he whispered into the silky skin on her throat, nipping it covetously with his sharp teeth. "I will make you mine."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

It was several hours later before Vegeta woke from his deep slumber. The Mozart had silenced itself. Only the sound of gentle, muffled breaths could be heard.

The prince yawned and rolled onto his back, his heavy eyes still closed. His bunk smelt different; oddly sweet, in the most appealing of ways. It took a moment for him to recall why. Then, in the darkness, a sly and rather satisfied grin spread across his face. Lithia! How could he have forgotten the first step towards his victory?

He reached out sleepily to pull the girl towards him, finding he craved the sensation of her soft flesh against his muscles. Yet his woman was not there.

With a rush of panic and anger his eyes snapped open, quickly scanning the dimly lit room. She was definitely not there.

The prince sprung out of his bunk, grasping sleepily at the garments he had cast aside hours before, and, hastily, he pulled on his pants and boots.

"Damn her!" he hissed, trying to shake off his drowsiness. "Little floozy! I should have known better than to trust a-"

He stopped mid sentence. Lying on the floor, right next to his discarded training shirt, were the outer layers Lithia had shed earlier. The girl had been lying in his bunk in nothing but her under garments. Why, then, had she not the decency to over up before leaving?

Vegeta's mind began to race, along with his heart. He knew Lithia would not even have teleported next door without dressing first. Hurriedly, he stalked across to his bureau and picked up the spare scanner he stored in his cell. He tuned his gaze to the wall that separated their rooms.

"She's not in there," he muttered to himself, frowning a little. Where else would she be in the middle of the night, undressed? What would be so important she'd leave _without her clothes_?

The answer struck him like a blast to the chest. She hadn't left- she'd been taken. Throwing down his scanner furiously, he stormed to the door, stabbing angrily at the "open" button. Zarbon was waiting in he corridor outside, lounging against a wall with a bemused expression across his face. He eyed the half-dressed prince before announcing scathingly:

"I suggest you move fast if you want her to stay in one piece. Lord Freiza's not too pleased with you _man-handling his goods_."

"The girl is mine," Vegeta spat, seizing Zarbon by the throat. "You better remember that."

He threw the sycophant to he ground. There was no time for rough-and-tumble with the sub-ordinates now. If Frieza had the girl, then he had to act fast. Concentrating, he located the most powerful ki on board and teleported to its side.

The overlord was in his usual chamber, sitting high above the room, sneering down at the new arrival.

"Vegeta, I did wonder how long it would be before I saw you this evening," Freiza drawled, red eyes glittering with vindictive pleasure.

"Give her back," the prince snarled simply. "What use is she to you? For fuck's sake!"

The reptilian dictator threw back his head and laughed, flashing his many sharp, white teeth.

"She is of plenty use to me," he hissed. "She is the perfect bargaining tool! Forgive me, how rude…bring the girl in!"

Vegeta whirled round to see a side door opening, and two armoured soldiers emerge, carrying a scantily clad and rather limp figure roughly by the wrists. Lithia could only just raise her head to meet her prince's disgusted gaze.

"What did you do to her?" he demanded. How had this happened? This was the very thing he'd feared- the female becoming his weakness. How had the damned lizard known?!

"It's a simple drug, nothing more," Freiza explained airily. With remarkable speed, he jumped down from his perch and glided to the side of his guards, still eyeing Vegeta cautiously, as though this were simply a game.

"Vegeta, it's come to my attention that both of you have been pushing my boundaries a little. You have been throwing your weight around…and I don't like that. You forget your place saiyan- beneath me!"

He paused to leer in Vegeta's face, who was trying his best to refrain from lashing out. His very nature urged him to crush the bastard like a bug, yet he knew better. He was not powerful enough. Not yet.

"Your female fellow here," the lizard continued, now pacing circles around them both, "has taken it upon herself to train up. Not only has she disobeyed my wishes regarding her schedule, she also commandeered a portion of my ship to complete her illegitimate activities."

Again, Freiza paused. He bent, only slightly, down beside the semi-conscious form of Lithia. Then, slowly and very deliberately, he ran a clawed hand across the girl's heaving chest. A wave of sickly hot anger rose in Vegeta, an emotion that must have shown in his face for the tyrant laughed.

"Losing your touch, aren't you saiyan?" he sneered. "She's quite under your skin, this little gem. My, how the mighty fall!"

"Perhaps you're just losing your ability to read people," Vegeta snapped, unable to hold back.

"Oh dear, more insolence," Freiza sighed with mock disappointment. "You two really are akin to each other. Well, now I am going to punish you both."

Vegeta watched his nemesis smiling at him from his crouched position. Then, in a single swift movement, the lizard raised his hand and brought it down powerfully across the left side of Lithia's face, slashing her skin from her brow down to her cheek. The girl let out a shriek of pain, quickly snapping out of her drugged state, and clasping her hands over the wound that was now gushing blood. For the first time in his existence, Vegeta nearly wretched at the sight of carnage.

"Bastard!" he roared. He pushed forward, knocking the closest guard out of the way and pulling his screaming companion into his arms.

"Get the hell out of my sight," Frieza spat. "Both of you! And let this be a warning, Vegeta, a pact, if you will! You keep your word to me, then you keep the girl. If not, then I'll do with her as I see fit. And I promise you, I will not be so lenient again."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Stop touching it!"

Lithia was lying on the floor of what seemed to be Nappa's cell- the contents of the room were significantly larger that normal- gazing up at three saiyan faces through a haze of scarlet. The blood from her wound was flowing freely over her face, running into her eyes and hair. It throbbed angrily with more pain than she was willing to admit.

"Where the hell is that ointment?" she heard Vegeta shouting. Though she could not see him, she could feel the prince grasping tightly onto her wrist. He had been holding her so since he'd carried her out of Freiza's chamber, murmuring frantically to her every so often.

She'd been rushed into Nappa's cell, where all three saiyans soon crowded round with towels, cloths and solutions of all kinds, desperately trying to stem the bleeding.

"You used all the ointment," Nappa responded, dabbing Lithia's face with what felt like a towel. "Relax. It won't bleed forever."

"Well what about the scarring, you moron?" the prince snapped back. "A towel will not stop that!"

"I don't think the ointment would either, Vegeta," Raditz chipped in. His voice sounded concerned, and Lithia knew why.

This was _meant_ to scar. This was not an injury inflicted to cause pain or damage. If Freiza had wanted to hurt her, he would have done something much worse, and this she knew too well. The monster had deliberately disfigured her. He'd seen the affinity between her and her prince and, feeling clearly threatened, had sought to destroy it by robbing her of her greatest asset: her beauty. It was sneaky, it was cold, it was cruel…it was Frieza. Yet there was a lingering irony to his methods that chilled her.

"He knew," she whispered aloud, sitting up slowly and turning to look at Vegeta. "He knew!" she repeated. "Vegeta, he knew!"

"Knew what?" the prince replied. He was eyeing Lithia an expression of nothing less than horror. Yet for now, she did not care. Something stranger was afoot.

"Do you remember what you said to me the night before last?" she whispered, dropping her voice so low that her male companions had to crowd her to hear.

"I said many things," Vegeta hissed, also lowering his tone. "Which one?"

"When I was ranting about him," Lithia mused, "you told me to be careful or he'd scar my other cheek. Do you remember?"

"Yes," the prince responded. He was frowning slightly, and Lithia could see her suspicions were dawning on him. Nappa and Raditz, however, sat thoroughly oblivious.

"What's your point?" Raditz asked. "And why the fuck are we whispering?"

"My point," Lithia replied, picking up a towel, and patting her seeping wound, "is that it's rather a coincidence that he chose such a befitting punishment, isn't it? He _knew _what Vegeta had said! Somehow he knew! And if he heard that, then who knows what else he could have found out. He could be listening to us right now."

Nappa stared disbelievingly, shaking his head.

"No way," he muttered. "Why would he waste time and resources having someone monitoring us? It doesn't make sense."

"Oh but it does!" Vegeta said quietly. "You know he's paranoid about us rioting on him. He's always trying to be one step ahead. No, I think she's right. There was something Zarbon said…When I came out to look for you, he was waiting by my door. He told me Freiza wasn't too pleased with me _man-handling his goods_."

"I said that to you that same night," Lithia whispered. Her eyes widened, with some difficulty through the mask of congealing blood on her face. "He _is_ spying on us! Vegeta, it all fits! What you said yesterday…about him not bothering us…he saw that as a challenge!"

"Are you saying this is my fault?" the prince snapped, jumping to his feet.

"No, I'm not," she replied, cursing herself for not being more diplomatic. "My point he's doing all this on purpose to get at us."

"To get at you two, you mean," Raditz corrected. "As far as I'm concerned, his problem is with you, not all of us."

"Shut up, Raditz," Nappa hissed, carefully monitoring Vegeta's expression. "We're comrades. We're in this together."

"Precisely," the prince affirmed. "An attack on one of us is an attack on us all. More so if it's on me."

"Excuse me - whose face did he mutilate?" Litha interrupted crossly. But it was dawning on her that her disfigurement was only a way for the lizard to get to Vegeta. He was playing on the prince's supposed like for her- though she was wondering whether this actually existed. She was nothing more than a tool or a pawn; a button on Vegeta's panel that Freiza knew just how to press.

She looked angrily to her partner, who still stood above them, his expression aloof despite the storm that was raging in his eyes.

"May I speak with Vegeta alone for a moment?" Lithia requested, turning to Nappa and Raditz, who looked as though he were going to object until the elder saiyan pulled him to his feet.

"We need to sort that cut out in a minute," Nappa said as he made to leave. "Make it quick."

The door hissed noisily as it opened to admit then, closing again with an oppressive thud that hung in the air for many moments after it's demise.

Lithia got to her feet awkwardly, ignoring the fresh pain that pulsated across her face, and anxiously walked over to where Vegeta was standing. His arms were folded, as usual, across his chest, and with his head lowered, gazing at the floor, it was impossible for her to read him.

The young woman opened her mouth to speak, but no words seemed appropriate. So she settled for a tender touch on his arm, a gesture that he would normally have sneered at. Yet it seemed to placate him, if only a little.

"I feared this would happen," he muttered. " I knew the moment I started to give you attention, it would be used against me."

"Vegeta," Lithia began gently, "You can't hold back in your life because of people like him. How will you ever live?"

The prince shook his head in what she perceived to be exasperation.

"Lithia, you have the great disadvantage of not experiencing enough of our culture to be affected by it. Had you been old enough before the destruction to understand, you'd know what was expected of you."

"Vegeta, you're only older than me by one year!"

"It's enough to make the difference, clearly. Our people do not _do_ affection, and for good reason! Reason such as what occurred tonight."

Lithia's heart sunk in her chest. She knew what this meant- she'd always worried he'd be too stubborn to fulfil their betrothal for fear of actually caring for her. That was his true weakness! Not the fact he may harbour affection for her, but his constant phobia of ever feeling anything except hatred, anger or perhaps covetousness.

"You seem to think," she said, "that our union would make us weaker. Yet there is strength in numbers Vegeta. We are two different beings with different strengths and vices, but together our strengths could compliment one another, make up for the other's weakness!"

"Speak for yourself!" Vegeta snapped. He lunged forward and began to march across the room. "I am not weak, Lithia! Furthermore, I will not let myself be weakened by a female!"

The prince paused before the door and glanced back. There was a brief flash of pain across his face; a hungry, longing interjection to his usual arrogance. In an instance, however, it was gone, and so was he.

Lithia's strength dispersed. Her body crumpled miserably and she fell to her knees with the smallest of crashes, lowering her marred face to the ground. She heard the door hiss open again, but she did not raise her head. It would not be him- only Nappa or Raditz come back to finish the job.

"Get up, kid," the eldest saiyan urged her. "It's nearly morning. Let's clean up that gash and get some sleep already."

"Did you see where he went?" she whispered, not wishing to look up. In spite of herself, she found she was crying. The salt of her hot, angry tears stung her open wound, reminding her of more pressing troubles. It seemed Vegeta wanted nothing more to do with her. That alone was bad, but coupled with a permanent disfigurement, the destruction of her only chance of winning him back, it was suddenly unbearable.

For a moment, she forgot her pride. For a moment, she abandoned her nature and her heritage and simply wept.

Nappa's immense and powerful arms scooped her off the ground, placing her on his bunk.

"Kid, if you were any other saiyan I would be forced to beat on you by now," he said. "As it's you, I can't. But I'll say this: don't let him see you in such a mess. It'll only confirm everything he's been worried about. Be strong. Show him the way and he'll come right back."

"No he won't!" she murmured, wiping her eyes with her fingers. "Look at me! I'm hideous! Freiza made sure of that."

"It's not so bad," Nappa shrugged, tilting his head on an angle. "It's a bit of a state now, but once it's healed it'll only be a neat little scar."

"Yeah, that runs across the entire left side of my face! What kind of Queen looks like that?"

"Scars are cool," the oversized saiyan shrugged again. "Why d'you think Vegeta has so many?"

Lithia did not know, nor did she care. She was tainted, damaged, and she knew her prince wouldn't have it. The lizard may as well have raped her, for he'd done an equal amount of damage. He'd devalued her, made her worthless. He'd ruined her life all over again.

Well, she was not going to stand for it anymore. The spying and shadowing them she could have lived with, but his dictating their every move? No, she certainly wasn't going to have it. He would pay.


End file.
